Even though he’s a reserve in Toronto after being a starter in Sacramento, the 6-foot-6 Venezuelan seems genuinely thrilled to be here.

We saw it when he first arrived as a part of the Rudy Gay deal and it has been apparent every day since.

Vasquez went from averaging nine assists a game (second in the league) during his breakout campaign in New Orleans, to just 5.3 in Sacramento, as a part of an isolation-heavy offence. In his two games in Toronto, he’s averaged four assists in nearly nine fewer minutes, getting his assist rate nearly back to where it was in New Orleans.

Vasquez wasn’t unhappy as a King, even though Isaiah Thomas, in the midst of a standout year, had taken many of his minutes, but it seems like some of the excitement of coming to the arena every day had been sapped, for whatever reason.

“It’s fun to play with these guys. It’s a privilege to me because I’m excited and happy to be around my teammates. I’ve got that joy of the game again,” Vasquez said Tuesday after practice.

“I was struggling at first when I was in Sacramento, now, it’s just totally different.

“Totally different,” he repeated.

“The ball is moving pretty well. Offence is so smooth when we pass the ball. I don’t know what happened, but it’s moving better than it was in Sacramento.”

Leading scorer DeMar DeRozan has notched 12 assists over the past two games and Vasquez has noticed.

“He’s a guy that can score and pass, so that’s going to be a great threat for us,” he said.

With head coach Dwane Casey encouraging the Raptors to rebound better, Vasquez could be a perfect fit.